Frankie Óg Sheahan follows family path into another Munster Schools Senior Cup final

PBC face St Munchin's in Wednesday's Munster Schools Senior Cup final. The game will be streamed live by the Irish Examiner

PBC’s Frankie Og Sheahan already tasted victory in the 2024 Munster Schools Senior Cup final but he wants to go out on a high. Pic: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane

Frankie Óg Sheahan is continuing a proud family tradition as he lines out in another Munster Schools Senior Cup final on Wednesday.

The PBC vice-captain’s father, ex-Ireland international Frankie, won his Senior Cup in 1993. His first cousins, Jacob and Danny, featured together in the Pres pack for the 2022 final defeat to Crescent.

“My dad played rugby for Ireland, so that’s been a driving factor for me,” says Frankie Óg. “Ever since I’ve been young, all I wanted to do was come to Pres. And then just seeing my cousins in sixth year, it’s really a family school.

“You see your relatives playing and from a young age, that’s what you want to do. A lot of lads here would think the same.

“Danny is involved in the Munster Academy now. He’s injured at the moment, but he's trying to push on. Jacob is playing with Con. He was involved with Ireland Under-20s as well. My uncle played 21s as well for Ireland, so it's a real rugby family.” 

Frankie Óg, who captained Pres to Junior Cup silverware in 2023, has already reached the holy grail of schools rugby as a replacement in 2024. This will be their fifth consecutive final, following two Junior Cup deciders with three Senior Cup showpieces.

After their CBC disappointment last year, the scrum-half is determined to bow out on a high.

Rian McFarlane O’Shea from Presentation Brothers College alongside Jack Meaney from St. Munchins College ahead of the Pinergy Munster Schools Senior Boys Cup final. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

“It's easy to take for granted, but we train six times a week. That sort of work, it's being rewarded.

“This year, there's a lot of external noise. It's really important not to get complacent. That's the main enemy. We've had a few good results and a lot of people are talking, so hopefully we can just stick to our game and perform for Wednesday.” 

The experience of beating top South African teams to win the NextGen Global Schools Challenge in December has been a highlight of the year.

“It was unlike anything we've ever experienced,” says Sheahan. “The main thing was the scrummaging. It was a different sort of game. The physicality, you've seen the South Africans, they're known for that, and the sort of intensity that they brought.

“We tried to take the best parts of their game and bring it into our own game, and that's stood to us so far this campaign.” 

Hooker Ronan Twomey was at the heart of the front-row action in Spain and he concurs with Sheahan’s assessment.

“It was surreal, really. We went over and we just wanted to make it an experience of a lifetime. That’s really what did happen,” says Twomey.

“It definitely brought us on. The parents really enjoyed it too, but it brought us all a lot closer together. It's stood to us so far, and hopefully it can in the coming days.” 

Twomey has scored four tries in 90 minutes of knockout rugby, but will miss the final due to a collarbone fracture sustained in the 54-0 semi-final victory over CBC.

Head coach Ger Burke said Twomey tried “everything short of black magic to see if there was any way” to play, but noted that their top try-scorer would find a way to contribute to PBC's preparation.

“It's just about giving the lads a word of encouragement, or putting a hand on their back if they're down, and just giving them a hand whenever they need it. Whatever I can do, I’ll do,” explains Twomey.

“It's all about the lads, just giving them one last push, and hopefully we can get over the gain line on the day.” Will he be nervous watching on?

“I'll have trouble sleeping the night before,” Twomey replies, “but listen, I trust the boys and I back the boys in there.”

ST MUNCHIN’S: R Angley; D Mullane, B Minogue, M Delmont Ferrera, E Quinn, O Madden, T O’Brien; B Meagher, M Landers, C Dillon; Callum McGrath, Cillian McGrath; R O’Brien, J Meamney (capt), D Foley.

Replacements: O Gleeson, K Yoxall, S Bissette, S McGlynn,. A Fennell, D Newman, S Frost, M Keane, P O’Driscoll, D O’Driscoll.

PRESENTATION BROTHERS COLLEGE: D Murphy; O Healy, A Moloney, H Galvin Carty, B O’Callaghan, D Nolan, F Sheahan; F O’Sullivan, N McCarthy, D Sheehy; T Murray, C Bruhn; E Dooley, C Bohan, R MacFarlane O’Shea.

Replacements: S McKenna Carroll, M Fitzgerald, M Riordan, R Dillon, G Coughlan, B Waters, L O’Brien, J Healy, G McSweeney, D O’Leary.